Paris streets: Boulevard Saint Germain (75007-75006-75005)

[Deleted]

Boulevard Saint Germain is considered to be one of the most important streets in Paris, nay, THE most important street in Paris by various visitors to the city, and most of these people happen to come from North America. We might get back to that later.

In any case, one of the most interesting things about it is that it both begins and ends at the Seine, and to my knowledge it is the only street in Paris to do so. This is of course due to the fact that the Seine does not cut a straight path through Paris, whereas Boulevard Saint Germain is a relatively straight street. So where does it start and where does it end? Good question, which brings us to how streets are numbered in Paris. Streets that go basically north or south are the easiest: the low numbers begin at the closest point to the Seine. The other streets present a different challenge which is easily solved, also by using the Seine as a reference. Low numbers begin upstream, so numbering goes from east to west. I am pretty sure that there must be a street or two which flouts these rules or which is at least "open to debate" and it will probably be worth a thread of its own if I finally discover the culprit.

Therefore, Boulevard Saint Germain begins at the eastern end and ends in the west. Unfortunately, I have done this report differently, because in my mind, streets run from the centre of Paris and move away from the centre. So I decided to begin at the Assemblée Nationale, right across from Place de la Concorde and work my way from there -- officially the end of the boulevard. Oh well.

It all begins in the Assemblée Nationale metro station. Oddly enough, this station was called "Chambre des Députés" until 1989 even though the lower legislative house took the name "Assemblée Nationale" in 1958 when Charles de Gaulle created the 5th Republic. The French love it when things change but they think they hate it for a relatively long period, so bringing the name up to date took a very long time.

The station is unusual for having no advertising posters. It has a contract with an artist who wallpapers the station with something different every six months or so. For a long time, it consisted of the silhouettes of members of the National Assembly, but I imagine that this ended up being somewhat controversial (who was selected? right or left?), so now the décor is more abstract.

Outside, the Assemblée Nationale building dominates the area.



You can see Place de la Concorde right on the other side of the river.



This part of the boulevard is the 7th arrondissement.



Facing the National Assembly building is this place, which has even more power.



Peeking through the windows is like watching a movie or TV series about "power."



I just began to walk down the street to see what there was to see.

[Deleted]

I can assure you that no poor people can be found in the immediate area, maybe except for me. I'm sure that even the building concierges are extremely gratified by their revenue.



Obviously there are plenty of embassies around here, but it is interesting to note that some countries are so tormented that they have two embassies.



There aren't all that many shops here but they all seem to specialise in office or "embassy" furniture.



The Ministry of Defence is still here -- pending the completion of the huge new building in the 15th arrondissement.





All over Paris, public buildings are proud to still display their battle scars from the 1940's.





The very first café is extremely far from the National Assembly. This would be surprising if the government did not run a deeply discounted bar inside the building.

[mich64]

Another beginning to a great thread! We stayed in the 6th once, on Rue de Seine. Yes, we North Americans made a bad choice. The area was perfect for us at the time(this was just after my injury, so central was pretty much essential) but the prices for accommodations and food were quite a shock. We did eventually find a wonderful restaurant that was not only fairly priced but the menu was perfect for us.

[lagatta]

Yes, I remember a long walk in that area (and the quai) after a meeting I was working at ...er, officially "volunteering" though I did have a per diem ... connected to the European Social Forum. Think the building was 18th century, with a great courtyard, and there was a very cheap coffee dispensing machine with quite decent espresso - similar to those "pods" one finds everywhere now. We did find a restaurant for lunch one of the group knew about, with good "salades repas" and other lunchtime things for a reasonable price. I certainly wouldn't want to stay around there, lovely as the banks of the Seine are. One needs the amenities of daily life.

Paris has become much more accessible in recent years, but it is still a challenge for anyone with a temporary or more permanent handicap.

I know that slow travel an LP Thorn Tree have both done sections on travel for people with (temporary or permanent) disabilities. This is something we should consider, as we'll all become somewhat more frail unless we die first.

[htmb]

Feb 28, 2014 0:07:54 GMT lagatta said:

This is something we should consider, as we'll all become somewhat more frail unless we die first.

Isn't that the truth, Lagatta!!! You are certainly the master of the understatement.

[tod2]

Super start Kerouac - Not many of us tourists wander so far away from the main hub of St-Germain des Pre`s. The nearest I have been to the start of your walk is the church of St-Clotilda behind the Ministry of Defense. There is a good Brasserie in the little leafy square but still a good walk from Assemblee` Nationale.

That furniture store you photographed shows the name KNOLL. We used to have a firm called PARKER-KNOLL in this country and I'm guessing it may be one and the same.?

[Deleted]

The food shops for the rare locals here don't quite look like the places in my own neighbourhood.





I did not see any meat for less than 20€ a kilo in the window here.



The Maison de l'Amérique Latine is one of the major cultural institutions of the city.

It is actually two huge mansions with an immense garden in back, where its restaurant puts its terrace in the summer. It was created in 1946 by General de Gaulle who wanted to strengthen links with Latin America after the war. In any case, it has remained the headquarters of the upper end of the Latin American community in Paris over the years and was practically an alternate seat of government of some of the countries during their periods of dictatorship. Although officially apolitical, it has always been an unusual hotbed of leftist politics in one of the most conservative areas of the city. The French Socialist Party often rents its m ballrooms on election night for its victory (or defeat) celebrations. The place is probably worth its own thread, but I did not go in today.

The Ministry of the Environment is right across the street.



Ministries such as this one change names with each new president.





The boulevard starts to become more commercial here and stays that way to the end.







Side streets untouched by Baron Haussmann look much livelier. The taxi ranks are huge, though. Locals don't take the metro.



more office furniture...





I have been to this small museum, the Museum of Letters and Manuscripts.

[lagatta]

I've been to La Maison de l'Amérique latine mal217.org - indeed it seems oddly located. Not to that manuscript museum though, which looks interesting. The restaurant there is expensive, but they have a café-bar where you can have lunch, or otherwise a drink or coffee. I see that you have to pay a 1€ "dues" to eat there if not a member; I was there with friends who are members (professors from Brazil and Argentina).

Not the most economical neighbourhood to do your daily shop!

[bjd]

I too have been to La Maison de l'Amérique Latine -- to see a photo exhibition linked to Paris Photo. Since I started at Quai Branly, I covered that whole boring stretch of Blvd St Germain to get there. Not my favourite part of the city.

My husband's grandmother lived on Blvd St Germain (near Maubert) for many years. When she moved in, in 1940, the apartment didn't have a bathroom. She had one of the bedrooms converted, even though it was a rental.

[Deleted]

This shop had one of the biggest selections of canes and walking sticks that I have ever seen. It probably says something about the local population.





The rare children in this area must never get dirty if they can wear these clothes.



We are now entering an area where the high end brands are clustered. We have also just changed from the 7th to the 6th arrondissement.







Here is the Ukrainian Cathedral of the Greek Catholic rite, which is not the same as Greek Orthodox.



It was not open, perhaps to avoid possible political incidents, or maybe it just isn't open when they are not holding services.







Even boulevard Saint Germain has its Space Invaders.

[tod2]

I have longed to go into the large expanse of garden at the Maison de l'Amérique Latine as far back as 2009 but somehow never got to fulfill my ambition, so of course I am envious of you two gals! I knew the restaurant/cafe was expensive but as a one-off treat I could stand that!

Kerouac- I am awaiting your entrance into the public swimming pool.......I've heard there is one on Blvd St-Germaine but for the life of me have never found it.

[Deleted]

Looking through one of the open doorways to a building, I spotted this stairway and had to get a closer look.





Then I arrived in the heart of the "Saint Germain-des-Prés" area, with its famous establishments.





Brasserie Lipp is a favourite of the Parisian intelligentsia, but is even more famous for treating unknown visitors horribly.



The official name of Place Saint Germain-des-Prés has changed.



For about the first 25 years that I lived in Paris, the church of Saint Germain-des-Prés had ugly scaffolding on it. It is finally gone.



I had not been inside for years, so now was the time. The building dates mostly from the 12th century.







I always wonder about the ethics of cutting up bodies to distribute the relics. What is the heart of a Polish king doing here?



I rather liked the contrast of having some modern items in the setting.





And there was also some old stuff dug up by archeologists.

Many visitors talk about the area of "Saint Germain des Prés" as if it were the term by which to call the entire 6th arrondissement. This could not be farther from the truth, because as soon as you get a couple of blocks away from the metro station, locals call the areas by other names -- for example, starting at Odéon, Parisians call that part of Paris the Latin Quarter (Tourists tend to think "Latin Quarter = 5th arrondissement"), and then there are of course the Luxembourg Gardens, which nobody would ever consider to be part of Saint Germain-des-Prés, and in any case the far side of them is considered to be part of Montparnasse.

I have been decried on numerous travel websites by writing that the actual Saint Germain-des-Prés area is a sort of mummified area which has been drained of just about all of its original inhabitants by tourism (such as happened to Venice). "There are lots of locals," protest numerous people. "There are families with strollers everywhere." Well, the actual administrative district of Saint Germain-des-Prés has a total population of 5154 inhabitants, which is not exactly a great number of people in a city that houses 2,249,975 inhabitants in its city limits.

Basically, the majority of the inhabitants are within 300 metres of this metro station.

[bjd]

Here's your answer for why a Polish king should be in there:
"On 16 September 1668, John II Casimir abdicated the Polish–Lithuanian throne, and returned to France, where he joined the Jesuits and became abbot of Abbey of Saint-Germain-des-Prés in Paris. He died in 1672."

[Deleted]

Just the heart that was ripped out of his chest!

[Deleted]

Oh, Kerouac, I'm sure he was dead when they did it.

Symbolism was very big back then.

[fumobici]

Thanks for this report k2. I really hadn't planned to visit this area and I still don't although I somehow find the promise of horrible treatment as a tourist at the Lipp oddly alluring. Parrying hauteur with a Parisian could burn perhaps a half hour in an amusing way Plus if my order never gets taken or delivered the entire experience will be entirely free of cost.

[Deleted]

The side streets are more representative of the Latin Quarter here, except that the real estate prices are still "Saint Germain."

In spite of my perpetual lamentations that (almost) all Parisians have left the Saint Germain-des-Prés area, one little detail proves me wrong -- the restaurants that can be found there. If tourists were in charge, all of the little restaurants on the street that I just showed would be French, or at least Italian or North African, since those three cuisines were the holy trinity of the Paris restaurant world for as long as I can remember. Most Parisians don't want that stuff anymore, because they can have it at home. Here are the restaurants in the street I just pictured. This is what just about any Parisian under the age of 50 wants to eat quite a bit of the time when going out.

       

       

Oh well, the church is still there across the boulevard.



The inventor of the encyclopaedia will make sure that the Asian food entries are up to date.



Right behind the church is this big panel clearly glorifying the Sèvres porcelain factory.



I entered the little park to see if there was a plaque saying why it is there. There was none.



All of the little squares are now equipped with lists of local children killed by the Nazis.



continuing along this quite long street...

The covered Marché Saint Germain was destroyed long ago, probably around the 1980's when it was decided that the market was no long viable due to the declining population. So it became a big pit into which an underground car park was installed and a replica of the old building was created to house 20 high end boutiques. Nobody who actually wants to cook starves, though, because the rue de Buci market street is not very far away. Unfortunately, since it no longer has any competition, prices have skyrocketed.

This is the only "protected" space invader that I have seen.



This venerable bookstore on the boulevard has never changed in all of the years that I have lived in Paris.

[bjd]

There is another Polish bookstore on Ile St Louis. I assume they either bought the buildings or got a very long lease back in the mid-19th century when the political exiles came, because they certainly wouldn't be able to afford the rent any longer.

[Deleted]

This building now houses the journalism department of the school of political science of the University of Paris.



The cross streets are becoming narrower and more crooked in the Latin Quarter.



The Odeon intersection ("Carrefour de l'Odéon") is the main "current" cinema district of the Latin Quarter.







Here is the statue of Danton in case you are wondering why a cinema would be called the Danton.







Also located here is the historic School of Medicine of the University of Paris.

[Deleted]

At last, here we are at the intersection of Boulevard Saint Germain and Boulevard Saint Michel, the absolute heart of the Latin Quarter.



It is one of the principal intersections of the entire city.



It is also the location of the Cluny Museum, the museum of the Middle Ages. It is located on top of old Roman baths.



After a lengthy wait, the "Lady and the Unicorn" tapestries have finally returned after a long restoration.



The side streets are increasingly narrow, as we have entered the 5th arrondissement.



Metro line 10 runs along this entire zone, which ia a decided advantage.



The centre of this building used to be a cinema, then it was a bookstore... and now a health club.



This might be the best street in Paris to look for Tintin artefacts since this is the second shop that I have encountered.

[Deleted]

I have always liked this rare brick building. The scientific bookstore on the ground floor used to be called La Règle à Calcul (The Slide Rule). I think it's kind of a shame that the name was changed, because it would be charmingly mysterious to younger generations now.

The street market at Place Maubert is a shadow of its former self.





More than half of the stands now just sell tourist junk instead of food.



On the other side of Place Maubert is the Asian shop that used to be the only place in Paris where you could find exotic ingredients.



Here is rue de Bièvre. During his 14 years in office, President Mitterrand never moved from his residence here.



This is the back end of the infamous St. Nicolas du Chardonnet, occupied by right wing fanatics for the last 35 years.



When Baron Haussmann carved this street out of old Paris, some of the new buildings were a bit of a sham.



This is the Piscine Pontoise, a private swimming pool reputed to be the most expensive in Paris. It used to have nude Tuesday nights, or some such. Maybe it still does.





A few architectural quirks slipped in to clash with the Haussmannian style.



...looking back over territory already covered as we near the end.







And here is the end of the boulevard, opposite the Institut du Monde Arabe.





The very last building houses a Picard frozen food store. I would imagine that a café would have been here in the past.



All that was left for me to do was to wait for a bus along the banks of the Seine.

[Judith]

That was wonderful, kerouac. I have not missed any of your strolls or bike rides. I would also encourage you to publish. Thanks.

[tod2]

Yes, indeed! That was wonderful because it brought back loads of memories from the time I stayed opposite the Marche Saint-Germaine, just off the blvd. Also I noticed in one of your photos - near the end of the boulevard - a shot of that Moroccan restaurant we went to called L'Atlas. Very nice.

Thanks for including the swimming pool!

[lagatta]

Damn, now I feel I have to find the bus line that goes from that part of the banks of the Seine up to K2's place...

fr.wikipedia.org/wiki/Lignes_de_bus_RATP_de_20_%C3%A0_99

It seems to me that I'd cross the Seine and take the 65, but perhaps K2 has a better idea...

www.ratp.fr/informer/pdf/orienter/f_plan.php?loc=bus_paris&nompdf=65&fm=gif

[Deleted]

Oh, I didn't have a direct bus. I just hopped on the 24 and then I changed to the metro at Madeleine to get home.

[lagatta]

Yes, that is the fastest route. I thought you wanted to continue playing tourist for a while.

[Deleted]

I feel like a tourist whenever I take a bus since they are so inefficient compared to the metro.

[bjd]

Not inefficient -- more interesting because you can look out the window.

On the 56 line going along Blvd Voltaire up to Gare de l'Est, up till a few years ago, they had buses with an open deck at the back for people who wanted to smoke. We took it once, but all we got was exhaust fumes.

[tod2]

Kerouac, I forgot to say I was glad you tipped us off about the market at Place Maubert.
That saved me from counting on a good experience.
I have been to several street markets and am wondering if the same people appear at different markets, or, if they are allowed (can only afford) one market stall. They do pay for their spot don't they?

[fgrsk8r1970]

Fantastic photo report Kerouac!!! I have walked some of this boulevard once by accident for a while (I am a patient person) trying to find a store Not one of my favorites either but your report made it at least very interesting!!! Thank you